In yet another cannabis first for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a cannabis policy conversation on Friday.
President Joe Biden’s unprecedented, sweeping pardons for federal cannabis possession convictions were the focus of the discussion, which included rapper Fat Joe, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and individuals who received pardons.
“We have gathered today,” Harris said, “to address specifically the injustices that we have seen in federal marijuana policy. I have said many times, I believe – I think we all at this table believe – nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”
Harris largely positioned the cannabis conversation within the context of the Biden administration’s work on criminal justice reform. She referenced the racial disparities in cannabis arrests and thanked Beshear for being “forward leaning” on criminal justice and for issuing drug-related pardons in his state.
However, she also urged the Drug Enforcement Administration to move on its review of the recommendation by the Department of Health and Human Services that cannabis be downscheduled from Schedule I to Schedule III.
“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible and we need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment,” she said.
Biden and his administration have made cannabis history several times in the past couple of years.
First came Biden’s executive action in October 2022 on the pardons, which was coupled with an announcement that he directed HHS and the Department of Justice to reassess how the federal government classifies cannabis.
Then, in late 2023, HHS recommended that cannabis be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III, marking the first time a U.S. federal agency formally recognized the medical use of cannabis. If the DEA agrees, and cannabis is put into Schedule III, it will be the first loosening of federal cannabis control since Congress in 1970 passed the Controlled Substances Act.
“This issue is stark when one considers the fact that, on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin,” Harris said Friday. “And more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair. So I’m sure DEA is working as quickly as possible and will continue to do so, and we look forward to the product of their work.”
Just last week, during his State of the Union address, Biden touted the pardons and the cannabis scheduling review, marking the first time cannabis reform was part of such an address.
The drumbeat on cannabis from the White House is getting louder as the November election nears. Cannabis is a popular issue with voters: Gallup’s latest poll found that 70% of Americans support legalization. Among younger voters, support is at 79%.
